38
38. Sad - The Letter 'Saad'
| 1 | Sad. By the Koran, containing the Remembrance -- |
| 2 | nay, but the unbelievers glory in their schism. |
| 3 | How many a generation We destroyed before them, and they called, but time was none to escape. |
| 4 | Now they marvel that a warner has come to them from among them; and the unbelievers say, 'This is a lying sorcerer. |
| 5 | What, has he made the gods One God? This is indeed a marvellous thing.' |
| 6 | And the Council of them depart, saying 'Go! Be steadfast to your gods; this is a thing to be desired. |
| 7 | We have not heard of this in the last religion; this is surely an invention. |
| 8 | What, has the Remembrance been sent down on him out of us all?' Nay, but they are in doubt of My Remembrance; nay, they have not yet tasted My chastisement. |
| 9 | Or have they the treasuries of thy Lord's mercy, the All-mighty, the All-giving? |
| 10 | Or is theirs the kingdom of the heavens and earth and of what between them is? Why, then let them ascend the cords! |
| 11 | A very host of parties is routed there! |
| 12 | Cried lies before them the people of Noah, and Ad, and Pharaoh, he of the tent-pegs, |
| 13 | and Thamood, and the people of Lot, and the men of the Thicket - those were the parties; |
| 14 | not one, that cried not lies to the Messengers, so My retribution was just. |
| 15 | These are only awaiting for a single Cry, to which there is no delay. |
| 16 | They say, 'Our Lord, hasten to us our share before the Day of Reckoning.' |
| 17 | Bear patiently what they say, and remember Our servant David, the man of might; he was a penitent. |
| 18 | With him We subjected the mountains to give glory at evening and sunrise, |
| 19 | and the birds, duly mustered, every one to him reverting; |
| 20 | We strengthened his kingdom, and gave him wisdom and speech decisive. |
| 21 | Has the tiding of the dispute come to thee? When they scaled the Sanctuary, |
| 22 | when they entered upon David, and he took fright at them; and they said, 'Fear not; two disputants we are -- one of us has injured the other; so judge between us justly, and transgress not, and guide us to the right path.' |
| 23 | 'Behold, this my brother has ninety-nine ewes, and I have one ewe. So he said, "Give her into my charge"; and he overcame me in the argument.' |
| 24 | Said he, 'Assuredly he has wronged thee in asking for thy ewe in addition to his sheep; and indeed many intermixers do injury one against the other, save those who believe, and do deeds of righteousness -- and how few they are!' And David thought that We had only tried him; therefore he sought forgiveness of his Lord, and he fell down, bowing, and he repented. |
| 25 | Accordingly We forgave him that, and he has a near place in Our presence and a fair resort. |
| 26 | 'David, behold, We have appointed thee a viceroy in the earth; therefore judge between men justly, and follow not caprice, lest it lead thee astray from the way of God. Surely those who go astray from the way of God -- there awaits them a terrible chastisement, for that they have forgotten the Day of Reckoning.' |
| 27 | We have not created the heavens and earth, and what between them is, for vanity; such is the thought of the unbelievers, wherefore woe unto the unbelievers because of the Fire! |
| 28 | Or shall We make those who believe and do righteous deeds as the workers of corruption in the earth, or shall We make the godfearing as the transgressors? |
| 29 | A Book We have sent down to thee, Blessed, that men possessed of minds may ponder its signs and so remember. |
| 30 | And We gave unto David Solomon; how excellent a servant he was! He was a penitent. |
| 31 | When in the evening were presented to him the standing steeds, |
| 32 | he said, 'Lo, I have loved the love of good things better than the remembrance of my Lord, until the sun was bidden behind the veil. |
| 33 | Return them to me!' And he began to stroke their shanks and necks. |
| 34 | Certainly We tried Solomon, and We cast upon his throne a mere body; then he repented. |
| 35 | He said, 'My Lord, forgive me, and give me a kingdom such as may not befall anyone after me; surely Thou art the All-giver.' |
| 36 | So We subjected to him the wind, that ran at his commandment, softly, wherever he might light on, |
| 37 | and the Satans, every builder and diver |
| 38 | and others also, coupled in fetters: |
| 39 | 'This is Our gift; bestow or withhold without reckoning.' |
| 40 | And he had a near place in Our presence and a fair resort. |
| 41 | Remember also Our servant Job; when he called to his Lord, 'Behold, Satan has visited me with weariness and chastisement.' |
| 42 | 'Stamp thy foot! This is a laving-place cool, and a drink.' |
| 43 | And We gave to him his family, and the like of them with them, as a mercy from us, and a reminder unto men possessed of minds; |
| 44 | and, 'Take in thy hand a bundle of rushes, and strike therewith, and do not fail in thy oath.' Surely We found him a steadfast man. How excellent a servant he was! He was a penitent. |
| 45 | Remember also Our servants Abraham, Isaac and Jacob -- men of might they and of vision. |
| 46 | Assuredly We purified them with a quality most pure, the remembrance of the Abode, |
| 47 | and in Our sight they are of the chosen, the excellent. |
| 48 | Remember also Our servants Ishmael, Elisha, and Dhul Kifl; each is among the excellent. |
| 49 | This is a Remembrance; and for the godfearing is a fair resort, |
| 50 | Gardens of Eden, whereof the gates are open to them, |
| 51 | wherein they recline, and wherein they call for fruits abundant, and sweet potions, |
| 52 | and with them maidens restraining their glances of equal age. |
| 53 | 'This is what you were promised for the Day of Reckoning; |
| 54 | this is Our provision, unto which there is no end.' |
| 55 | All this; but for the insolent awaits an ill resort, |
| 56 | Gehenna, wherein they are roasted - an evil cradling! |
| 57 | All this; so let them taste it - boiling water and pus, |
| 58 | and other torments of the like kind coupled together. |
| 59 | 'This is a troop rushing in with you; there is no Welcome for them; they shall roast in the Fire.' |
| 60 | They say, 'No, it is you have no Welcome; you forwarded it for us; how evil a stablishment!' |
| 61 | They say, 'Our Lord, whoso forwarded this for us, give him a double chastisement in the Fire!' |
| 62 | They say, 'How is it with us, that we do not see men here that we counted among the wicked? |
| 63 | What, did we take them for a laughing-stock? Or have our eyes swerved away from them?' |
| 64 | Surely that is true -- the disputing of the inhabitants of the Fire. |
| 65 | Say: 'I am only a warner. There is not any god but God, the One, the Omnipotent, |
| 66 | Lord of the heavens and earth, and of what between them is, the All-mighty, the All-forgiving.' |
| 67 | Say: 'It is a mighty tiding |
| 68 | from which you are turning away. |
| 69 | I had no knowledge of the High Council when they disputed. |
| 70 | This alone is revealed to me, that I am only a clear warner.' |
| 71 | When thy Lord said to the angels, 'See, I am creating a mortal of a clay. |
| 72 | When I have shaped him, and breathed My spirit in him, fall you down, bowing before him!' |
| 73 | Then the angels bowed themselves all together, |
| 74 | save Iblis; he waxed proud, and was one of the unbelievers. |
| 75 | Said He, 'Iblis, what prevented thee to bow thyself before that I created with My own hands? Hast thou waxed proud, or art thou of the lofty ones?' |
| 76 | Said he, 'I am better than he; Thou createdst me of fire, and him Thou createdst of clay.' |
| 77 | Said He, 'Then go thou forth hence; thou art accursed. |
| 78 | Upon thee shall rest My curse, till the Day of Doom.' |
| 79 | Said he, 'My Lord, respite me till the day they shall be raised.' |
| 80 | Said He, 'Thou art among the ones that are respited |
| 81 | until the day of the known time.' |
| 82 | Said he, 'Now, by Thy glory, I shall pervert them all together, |
| 83 | excepting those Thy servants among them that are sincere.' |
| 84 | Said He, 'This is the truth, and the truth I say; |
| 85 | I shall assuredly fill Gehenna with thee, and with whosoever of them follows thee, all together.' |
| 86 | Say: 'I ask of you no wage for it, neither am I of those who take things upon themselves. |
| 87 | It is nothing but a reminder unto all beings, |
| 88 | and you shall surely know its tiding after a while.' |